One form of package includes a substrate, such as a printed circuit card, populated with various surface mount technology components. The surface mount technology components are picked and placed onto the substrate or printed circuit board. The surface mount technology components are electrically coupled to the substrate or printed circuit board using a solder reflow process. Once the substrate or printed circuit board is populated, the printed circuit board and attached surface mount technology components are placed within a plastic clam shell case to complete the product. The plastic clam shell case is used to enclose a substrate, such as a printed circuit board. One problem is that clearance must be provided between the clam shell and the populated printed circuit board. This clearance adds to the volume of space needed for the product.
In some instances, it is desirable for a component on the substrate to be viewable from outside the clam shell case. For example, a light emitting diode (LED) can be provided as a surface mount component. When an LED is used to indicate a condition that is of interest to the end user, such as power on to the part, the LED must be viewable from outside the clam shell case. This requires forming an opening in the case and also requires alignment of the opening and the LED to allow the end user to view the LED from the outside of the case.
Another problem relates to labeling. Labeling can be done in several different ways. One labeling method includes printing on the exterior surface of the substrate or printed circuit board. In other products, a separate label is applied to the exterior of the clam shell case or to the exterior of the substrate. The separate labels on an exterior surface can be easily removed or may wear off. In addition, labels printed on an exterior surface can also wear off. If the label wears off or is removed, most times it is difficult to identify the part. This can be a problem for end users as well as manufacturers that use feedback regarding the parts to determine faults in their manufacturing process.
Currently, the printed circuit board or substrate is formed in its final size and then populated with surface mount technology components before placing the populated substrate into the clam shell case. Manufacturing testing must be done on a per part or per circuit board basis. Many manufacturing lines are testing 100 percent of their parts. This scheme requires the dedication of a large amount of the manufacturing resources to the testing process.
The description set out herein illustrates various embodiments of the invention, and such description is not intended to be construed as limiting in any manner.